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CHARTER 

CONSTITUTION 

BY-LAWS 


CHARTER 


OF  THE 

BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 

OF  THE 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

As  Amended  April  4,  1873 


The  People  of  the  State  of  New  York,  repre¬ 
sented  in  Senate  and  Assembly,  do  enact 
as  follows: 

Section  1.  The  Act  entitled  “An  Act  to 
Amend  the  Charter  of  the  Missionary  So¬ 
ciety  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,” 
passed  April  fourteenth,  eighteen  hundred 
and  sixty-nine;  also,  the  Act  entitled  “An 
Act  to  Consolidate  the  several  Acts  relating 
to  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  into  one  Act,  and  to  amend 
the  same,”  passed  April  eleventh,  eighteen 
hundred  and  fifty-nine;  and  the  Act  en¬ 
titled  “An  Act  to  Incorporate  the  Mission¬ 
ary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,”  passed  April  ninth,  eighteen  hun¬ 
dred  and  thirty-nine,  and  the  several 
Acts  amendatory  thereof,  and  relating  to 
the  said  Society,  are  respectively  hereby 
amended  and  consolidated  into  one  Act;  and 
the  several  provisions  thereof,  as  thus 
amended  and  consolidated,  are  comprised  in 
the  following  sections: 

Sec.  2.  All  persons  associated,  or  who 
may  become  associated,  together  in  the  So¬ 
ciety  above  named  are  constituted  a  body 
corporate,  by  the  name  and  style  of  “The 

1 


Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episco¬ 
pal  Church,”  and  are  hereby  declared  to  have 
been  such  body  corporate  since  the  passage 
of  said  Act  of  April  ninth,  eighteen  hundred 
and  thirty-nine;  and  such  Corporation  is 
and  shall  be  capable  of  purchasing,  holding, 
and  conveying  such  real  estate  as  the  pur¬ 
poses  of  the  said  corporation  shall  require; 
but  the  annual  income  of  the  estate  held  by 
it  at  any  one  time,  within  the  State  of  New 
York,  shall  not  exceed  the  sum  of  seventy- 
five  thousand  dollars. 

Sec.  3.  The  objects  of  the  said  Corpora¬ 
tion  are  charitable  and  religious;  designed 
to  diffuse  more  generally  the  blessings  of 
education  and  Christianity,  and  to  promote 
and  support  missionary  schools  and  Chris¬ 
tian  Missions  throughout  the  United  States 
and  Territories,  and  also  in  foreign  countries. 

Sec.  4.  The  management  and  disposition 
of  the  affairs  and  property  of  the  said  Cor¬ 
poration  shall  be  vested  in  a  Board  of  Man¬ 
agers,  composed  of  thirty-two  laymen  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  thirty-two 
traveling  ministers  of  the  Methodist  Episco¬ 
pal  Church,  appointed  by  the  General  Con¬ 
ference  of  said  Church  at  its  quadrennial 
sessions,  and  of  the  Bishops  of  said  Church, 
who  shall  be  ex  officio  members  of  said 
Board.  Such  Managers  as  were  appointed 
by  said  General  Conference  at  its  last  ses¬ 
sion  shall  be  entitled  to  act  as  such  from 
and  after  the  passage  of  this  Act,  until  they 
or  others  appointed  by  the  ensuing  General 
Conference  shall  assume  their  duties.  Any 
such  Board  of  Managers  may  fill  any  va¬ 
cancy  happening  therein  until  the  term  shall 
commence  of  the  Managers  appointed  by  an 
ensuing  General  Conference;  said  Board  of 
Managers  shall  have  such  power  as  may  be 
necessary  for  the  management  and  disposi¬ 
tion  of  the  affairs  and  property  of  said  Cor¬ 
poration,  in  conformity  with  the  Constitu- 


2 


tion  of  said  Society  as  it  now  exists,  or  as 
it  may  be  from  time  to  time  amended  by  the 
General  Conference,  and  to  elect  the  officers 
of  the  Society,  except  as  herein  otherwise 
provided;  and  such  Board  of  Managers  shall 
be  subordinate  to  any  directions  or  regula¬ 
tions  made,  or  to  be  made,  by  said  General 
Conference. 

Sec.  5.  Thirteen  members  of  the  said 
Board  of  Managers,  at  any  meeting  thereof, 
shall  be  a  sufficient  number  for  the  transac¬ 
tion  of  business.  The  Corresponding  Secre¬ 
taries,  the  Treasurer,  and  the  Assistant 
Treasurer  of  said  Society  shall  be  elected  by 
the  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  shall  hold  their  office 
for  four  years,  and  until  their  successors  are 
elected;  and  in  case  of  a  vacancy  by  resig¬ 
nation,  death,  or  otherwise,  the  Bishops  of 
the  said  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  shall 
fill  any  vacancy  in  the  office  till  the  ensu¬ 
ing  General  Conference.  And  until  the  next 
session  of  the  General  Conference  said  Board 
of  Managers  may  appoint  and  remove  at 
pleasure  the  Treasurer  and  the  Assistant 
Treasurer  of  said  Corporation;  and  the  lat¬ 
ter  officer  may  exercise  his  duties,  as  the 
Board  may  direct,  in  any  State. 

Sec.  6.  The  said  Corporation  shall  be 
capable  of  taking,  receiving,  or  holding  any 
real  estate,  by  virtue  of  any  devise  con¬ 
tained  in  any  last  will  and  testament  of  any 
person  whomsoever;  subject,  however,  to  the 
limitation  expressed  in  the  second  section  of 
this  Act  as  to  the  aggregate  amount  of  such 
rearl  estate,  and  also  to  the  provisions  of  an 
Act  entitled  “An  Act  Relating  to  Wills,” 
passed  April  thirteen,  eighteen  hundred  and 
sixty;  and  the  said  Corporation  shall  be  also 
competent  to  act  as  a  Trustee  in  respect  to 
any  devise  or  bequests  pertaining  to  the 
objects  of  said  Corporation,  and  devises  and 
bequests  of  real  or  personal  property  may 


3 


be  made  directly  to  said  Corporation,  or  in 
trust,  for  any  of  the  purposes  comprehended 
in  the  general  objects  of  said  Society;  and 
such  trusts  may  continue  for  such  time  as 
may  be  necessary  to  accomplish  the  pur¬ 
poses  for  which  they  may  be  created. 

Sec.  7.  The  said  Corporation  shall  also 
possess  the  general  powers  specified  in  and 
by  the  Third  Title  of  Chapter  Eighteen  of 
the  First  Part  of  the  Revised  Statutes  of  the 
State  of  New  York. 

Sec.  8.  This  Act  shall  take  effect  immedi¬ 
ately. 


II 

AN  ACT  to  amend  the  Charter  of  the  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Became  a  law  April  6,  1906,  with 
the  approval  of  the  Governor.  Passed, 
three  fifths  being  present. 

The  people  of  the  State  of  New  York,  repre¬ 
sented  in  Senate  and  Assembly,  do  enact 
as  follows: 

Section  1.  Sections  two  and  three  of 
chapter  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  of  the 
laws  of  eighteen  hundred  and  seventy-three, 
entitled  “An  Act  to  amend  the  Charter  of 
the  Misisonary  Society  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,”  are  hereby  amended  to 
read  respectively  as  follows: 

Sec.  2.  All  persons  associated,  or  who 
may  become  associated,  together  in  the  So¬ 
ciety  above  named,  are  constituted  a  body 
corporate  by  the  name  and  style  of  the 
“Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,”  and  are  hereby  declared 
to  have  been  such  body  corporate  since  the 
passage  of  such  Act  April  ninth,  eighteen 
hundred  and  thirty-nine;  and  such  corpora¬ 
tion  is,  and  shall  be,  capable  of  purchasing, 


4 


holding,  and  conveying  such  real  estate  as 
the  purposes  of  such  corporation  shall  re¬ 
quire;  but  the  annual  income  of  the  real 
estate  held  by  it  at  any  one  time,  within  the 
State  of  New  York,  shall  not  exceed  the  sum 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

Sec.  3.  The  objects  of  the  said  Corpora¬ 
tion  are  charitable  and  religious;  designed 
to  diffuse  more  generally  the  blessings  of 
education  and  Christianity,  and  to  promote 
and  support  missionary  schools  and  Chris¬ 
tian  Missions,  in  foreign  countries  and  also 
in  such  other  places,  subject  to  the  sover¬ 
eignty  of  the  United  States,  which  are  not 
on  the  continent  of  North  America  or  the 
islands  adjacent  thereto,  as  may  be  com¬ 
mitted  to  the  care  of  said  Corporation  by  the 
General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episco¬ 
pal  Church. 

Sec.  4.  This  act  shall  take  effect  on  the 
first  day  of  January,  in  the  year  nineteen 
hundred  and  seven. 


5 


CONSTITUTION 


OF  THE 

BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 

OF  THE 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

As  Adopted  by  the  General  Conference 
in  1912 


ARTICLE  I 

NAME  AND  OBJECT 

The  name  of  this  organization  shall  he 
the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Method¬ 
ist  Episcopal  Church.  Its  objects  are  reli¬ 
gious  and  philanthropic,  designed  to  diffuse 
more  generally  the  blessings  of  Christianity, 
by  the  promotion  and  support  of  Christian 
missions  and  educational  institutions  in 
foreign  countries  and  also  in  such  other 
places,  subject  to  the  sovereignty  of  the 
United  States,  but  not  on  the  continent  of 
North  America  or  the  islands  adjacent 
thereto,  as  may  be  committed  to  the  care 
of  said  organization  by  the  General  Confer¬ 
ence  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  un¬ 
der  such  rules  and  regulations  as  said  Gen¬ 
eral  Conference  may  from  time  to  time 
prescribe. 


ARTICLE  II 

LIFE  MEMBERS,  HONORARY  MEMBERS,  AND 

PATRONS 

All  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  contributing  to  the  funds  of  the 


6 


Board  of  Foreign  Missions  shall  be  nominally 
members  of  said  Board.  Any  person  con¬ 
tributing  $20  at  one  time  shall  be  a  Life 
Member.  Any  person  giving  $200  at  one 
time  shall  be  an  Honorary  Life  Member. 
Any  person  giving  $500  at  one  time  shall  be 
an  Honorary  Manager  for  life,  and  any  per¬ 
son  giving  $1,000  at  one  time  shall  be  a 
Patron  for  life;  and  such  Manager  or  Patron 
shall  be  entitled  to  a  seat  and  the  right  of 
speaking  but  not  of  voting  in  the  meetings  of 
the  Board  of  Managers.  Honorary  Managers, 
not  to  exceed  twenty  in  number,  may  be 
elected  by  the  General  Conference,  and,  in 
case  of  vacancies,  may  be  elected  by  the 
Board  of  Managers  during  the  interval  be¬ 
tween  the  sessions  of  the  General  Conference, 
said  Honorary  Managers  being  entitled  to 
speak  in  the  meetings  of  the  Board  of  Man¬ 
agers,  but  not  to  vote. 

ARTICLE  III 

GENERAL  COMMITTEE  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 

There  shall  be  a  General  Committee  of 
Foreign  Missions,  composed  of  the  General 
Superintendents,  the  Missionary  Bishops,  the 
Corresponding  Secretaries,  the  Recording 
Secretary,  the  Treasurer,  the  Assistant 
Treasurer,  two  representatives,  one  lay  and 
one  ministerial,  from  each  General  Confer¬ 
ence  District  and  as  many  representatives 
from  the  Board  of  Managers  as  there  are 
General  Conference  Districts. 

The  representatives  of  the  Board  of  Man¬ 
agers  shall  be  elected  by  the  Board  from  its 
own  members,  and  shall  include  as  nearly 
as  may  be  an  equal  number  of  ministers 
and  laymen. 

The  representatives  of  the  General  Confer¬ 
ence  Districts  shall  be  elected  by  the  General 
Conference,  on  nomination  of  the  delegates 
within  the  respective  districts  for  a  term 
of  four  years. 


7 


If  a  vacancy  should  occur  in  the  General 
Committee  by  the  death,  resignation  or  re¬ 
moval  of  a  district  representative  from  the 
district  of  his  Conference  or  church  mem¬ 
bership,  or  otherwise,  the  Board  of  Bishops 
shall  fill  such  vacancy  by  the  appointment 
of  a  successor  from  the  Annual  Conference 
to  which  such  representative  belonged;  or 
if  a  layman,  from  within  the  bounds  of  the 
Annual  Conference  within  which  he  resided; 
such  appointee  to  hold  office  until  'the  end  of 
the  quadrennium. 

The  General  Committee  of  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions  shall  meet  annually  at  such  place  in 
the  United  States  as  the  General  Committee, 
from  year  to  year,  may  determine  and  at 
such  time  in  the  month  of  November  as  shall 
be  determined  by  the  Corresponding  Secre¬ 
taries  and  Treasurers,  due  notice  of  which 
shall  be  given  to  each  member.  But  the  an¬ 
nual  meeting  of  the  said  committee  shall  not 
be  held  in  the  same  General  Conference  Dis¬ 
trict  more  frequently  than  once  in  four 
years.  The  Bishops  shall  preside  over  said 
annual  meeting. 

The  General  Committee  of  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions  shall  determine  what  fields  shall  be 
occupied  as  Foreign  Missions  and  the  amount 
necessary  for  the  support  of  each  and  shall 
make  appropriations  for  the  same,  including 
an  Emergency  Fund  of  Fifty  Thousand  Dol¬ 
lars  ($50,000);  provided,  that  the  General 
Committee  of  Foreign  Missions  shall  not 
appropriate  for  a  given  year,  including  the 
emergency  appropriation  of  Fifty  Thousand 
Dollars  ($50,000)  more  than  the  total  income 
for  the  year  immediately  preceding.  In 
intervals  between  the  meetings  of  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Committee  of  Foreign  Missions,  the 
Board  of  Managers  may  provide,  from  the 
Emergency  Fund,  for  any  unforeseen  emer¬ 
gency  that  may  arise  in  any  of  our  Foreign 
Missions. 

The  General  Committee  of  Foreign  Mis- 


8 


sions  shall  be  amenable  to  the  General  Con¬ 
ference,  to  which  it  shall  make  a  full  report 
of  its  doings.  Any  expense  incurred  in  the 
discharge  of  its  duties  shall  be  paid  from  the 
treasury  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 

ARTICLE  IV 

BOARD  OF  MANAGERS 

The  management  and  disposition  of  the 
affairs  and  property  of  the  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions  and  the  administration  of  the  ap¬ 
propriations  and  all  other  funds  shall  be 
vested  in  a  Board  of  Managers,  consisting  of 
the  General  Superintendents  and  the  Mis¬ 
sionary  Bishops,  who  shall  be  ex  officio  mem¬ 
bers  of  said  Board,  thirty-two  laymen  and 
thirty-two  traveling  ministers  of  the  Meth¬ 
odist  Episcopal  Church,  elected  by  the 
General  Conference,  according  to  the  re¬ 
quirements  of  the  existing  Charter  of  said 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  Vacancies  in 
the  Board  shall  be  filled  as  the  Charter  pro¬ 
vides;  and  the  absence,  without  reasonable 
excuse,  of  any  member  from  six  consecutive 
meetings  of  the  Board  shall  create  a  va¬ 
cancy.  The  Board  shall  also  have  authority 
to  make  by-laws  not  inconsistent  with  this 
Constitution  or  the  Charter;  to  print  books, 
periodicals,  and  tracts  for  foreign  missions; 
to  elect  a  President,  Vice-Presidents,  a  Re¬ 
cording  Secretary,  and  such  assistant  sec¬ 
retaries  as  may  be  necessary;  to  fill  vacan¬ 
cies  that  may  occur  among  the  officers 
elected  by  the  Board.  It  shall  present  a 
statement  of  its  transactions  and  funds  to 
the  Church  in  its  Annual  Report  and  shall 
lay  before  the  General  Conference  a  report 
of  its  transactions  for  the  preceding  four 
years  and  the  state  of  its  funds. 

The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  shall  have 
power  to  suspend  a  Corresponding  Secretary, 
Treasurer,  Assistant  Treasurer,  or  any  elected 
member  of  the  said  Board  of  Managers,  for 


9 


cause  to  it  sufficient,  and  a  time  and  place 
shall  be  fixed,  by  the  Board  of  Managers  at 
as  early  a  day  as  practicable  for  the  investi¬ 
gation  of  the  official  conduct  of  the  person 
against  whom  complaint  shall  have  been 
made.  Due  notice  shall  be  given  by  the 
Board  to  the  Bishops,  who  shall  select  one 
of  their  number  to  preside  at  the  investiga¬ 
tion,  which  shall  be  before  a  Committee  of 
twelve  persons,  six  ministers  and  six  lay¬ 
men,  none  of  whom  shall  be  members  of  the 
Board  of  Managers.  Said  Committee  shall 
be  appointed  by  the  Bishop  selected  to  pre¬ 
side  at  the  investigation.  Two-thirds  of  said 
Committee  shall  have  power  of  removal  from 
office  in  the  interval  of  General  Conference, 
of  the  official  against  whom  complaint  has 
been  made. 

In  case  a  vacancy  shall  occur  in  the  office 
of  Corresponding  Secretary,  Treasurer  or 
Assistant  Treasurer,  the  Bishops  shall  have 
power  to  fill  the  vacancy;  and,  until  they  do 
so,  the  Board  of  Managers  shall  provide  for 
the  duties  of  the  office. 

Thirteen  members  present  at  any  meeting- 
of  the  Board  of  Managers  shall  be  a  quorum. 

The  Board  shall  have  authority  to  solicit 
and  receive  funds  for  the  publication  and 
distribution  of  tracts. 

ARTICLE  V 

CORRESPONDING  SECRETARIES 

There  shall  be  three  Corresponding  Secre¬ 
taries,  having  coordinate  power,  who  shall 
be  the  executive  officers  of  the  Board  of  For¬ 
eign  Missions,  all  of  whom  shall  be  elected 
by  the  General  Conference  quadrennially. 

They  shall  be  subject  to  the  direction  of 
the  Board  of  Managers,  and  their  salaries, 
which  shall  be  fixed  by  the  Board  of  Man¬ 
agers,  shall  be  paid  out  of  the  treasury. 
They  shall  be  employed  exclusively  in  con¬ 
ducting  the  correspondence  of  the  Board,  in 


10 


furnishing  the  church  with  missionary  intel¬ 
ligence,  in  supervising  the  foreign  mission¬ 
ary  work  of  the  church,  and  by  correspond¬ 
ence,  traveling,  and  otherwise  shall  promote 
the  general  interests  of  the  cause. 

ARTICLE  VI 

ELECTION  OF  OFFICERS 

The  officers  to  be  elected  by  the  Board 
shall  be  chosen  and  hold  their  office  for  the 
term  of  one  year,  or  until  their  successors 
shall  be  elected;  or,  if  a  vacancy  should 
occur  during  the  year  by  death,  resignation, 
or  otherwise,  it  may  be  filled  at  any  regular 
meeting  of  the  Board.  The  first  election  of 
each  quadrennium  shall  be  held  at  the  regu¬ 
lar  meeting  of  the  Board  next  succeeding  the 
General  Conference. 

ARTICLE  VII 

PRESIDING  OFFICER 

At  the  meetings  of  the  Board,  the  President 
shall  preside.  But  if  he  should  be  absent, 
one  of  the  Vice-Presidents  shall  take  his 
place.  In  the  absence  of  the  President  and 
of  all  the  Vice-Presidents  a  member  ap¬ 
pointed  by  the  meeting  for  the  purpose  shall 
preside.  The  minutes  of  each  meeting  shall 
be  signed  by  the  Chairman  of  the  meeting 
at  which  the  same  are  read  and  approved 
and  by  the  Recording  Secretary. 

ARTICLE  VIII 

SPECIAL  GIFTS 

Credit  shall  be  given  for  special  gifts  from 
any  charge  when  said  charge,  including  the 
Sunday  school,  shall  have  raised  its  full 
apportionment  for  the  Board  of  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions  and  such  special  donation  shall  be  re¬ 
ceived  by  the  Board  for  the  specified  purpose. 
Special  donations  shall  be  applied  in  full 


ll 


to  the  purposes  designated  by  the  donors, 
but  shall  be  included  in  estimating  the  cost 
of  collection  and  administration.  Neverthe¬ 
less,  whenever  a  charge  or  an  individual  or 
group  of  individuals  in  any  charge  shall 
support  entirely  one  of  our  missionaries  in 
the  foreign  field,  who  is  a  regularly  ap¬ 
pointed  missionary  of  the  Board  and 
assigned  to  the  charge,  the  entire  amount 
may  be  credited  irrespective  of  apportion¬ 
ments. 

The  General  Committee  shall  make  sup¬ 
plemental  appropriations  for  the  work  to  the 
several  missions  of  the  average  amount  of 
special  gifts  received  and  applied  in  the 
previous  three  years,  such  supplemental  ap¬ 
propriations  not  to  be  paid  except  as  special 
gifts  are  received  for  the  missions.  Obli¬ 
gations  beyond  the  amount  of  the  money 
thus  appropriated  shall  not  be  assumed  in 
the  missions,  except  as  the  necessary  funds 
are  received.  All  special  gifts  received  for 
the  fields  shall  be  paid  through  the  office 
of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  though 
the  total  thereof  shall  exceed  the  appropria¬ 
tion. 

The  Board  shall  exercise  general  super¬ 
vision  over  appeals  for  special  gifts. 

ARTICLE  IX 

SUPPORT  OF  RETIRED  AND  OTHER  MISSIONARIES 

The  Board  may  provide  for  the  support  of 
retired  missionaries  and  of  the  widows  and 
orphans  of  missionaries  who  may  not  he 
provided  for  by  their  Annual  Conferences 
respectively;  provided  they  shall  not  receive 
more  than  is  usually  allowed  retired  min¬ 
isters,  their  widows  and  orphans  in  home 
Conferences. 

No  one  shall  be  acknowledged  as  a  mis¬ 
sionary  or  receive  support  as  such  from  the 
funds  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  who 
has  not  been  approved  by  the  Board  of  Man- 

•  12  j 


agers  and  been  assigned  to  some  definite 
field,  except  as  above  provided.  Ministerial 
missionaries  shall  be  constituted  by  the 
joint  action  of  a  General  Superintendent  and 
the  Board.  Lay  missionaries  shall  be  ap¬ 
pointed  by  the  Board  of  Managers. 

ARTICLE  X 

•  AMENDMENTS 

This  Constitution  shall  be  subject  to 
amendment  or  alteration  only  by  the  General 
Conference. 


BY-LAWS 


OF  THE 

BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 


I 

DUTIES  OF  THE  OFFICERS 
1.  President  and  Vice-Presidents 

The  President  or  one  of  the  Vice-Presi¬ 
dents  shall  preside  at  all  meetings  of  the 
Board,  and  they  shall  hold  their  respective 
offices  during  the  year  for  which  they  have 
been  elected,  unless  the  Board  of  Managers 
otherwise  determine.  If  the  President  and 
all  of  the  Vice-Presidents  be  absent,  the 
Board  may  elect  a  President  pro  tern. 

2.  Corresponding  Secretaries 

The  Corresponding  Secretaries,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Board  of  Managers,  shall 
have  charge  of  the  correspondence  of  the 
Board  with  its  missions  and  shall  be  ex¬ 
clusively  employed  in  promoting  its  general 
interests.  They  shall  advocate  the  cause  of 
foreign  missions  at  such  Annual  Confer¬ 
ences  and  in  such  churches  and  conventions 
as  their  judgment  may  dictate  and  the  Board 
approve.  They  shall  keep  a  vigilant  eye  upon 
all  the  affairs  of  the  Board,  and  especially 
upon  all  its  missions,  and  promptly  con¬ 
vey  to  the  Bishops  in  charge  of  the  missions 
respectively,  to  the  Board,  or  to  the  stand¬ 
ing  committees,  all  such  communications 
from  and  all  information  concerning  our 
foreign  missions  as  the  circumstances  of  the 
case  may  require. 


14 


They  shall  give  to  such  missionaries  as 
may  be  sent  out  by  the  Board  a  copy  of  the 
Manual  of  Instructions  authorized  by  the 
Board,  with  such  other  instructions  and  ex¬ 
planations  as  the  case  may  call  for;  and  they 
shall  explicitly  inform  all  missionaries  that 
they  are  in  no  case  to  depart  from  such  in¬ 
structions.  The  accounts  of  outgoing  and 
returning  missionaries  shall  also  be  audited 
by  a  Corresponding  Secretary  before  final 
settlement  of  the  same;  and  all  bills  for 
office  and  incidental  expenses  before  they  are 
presented  to  the  Treasurer  for  payment. 
The  Corresponding  Secretaries  shall  also 
superintend  all  the  property  interests  of  the 
Board  exclusive  of  its  current  receipts,  per¬ 
manent  or  special  funds  and  fixed  property, 
subject  to  instructions  from  the  Board  of 
Managers. 

3.  Assistant  Secretaries 

Assistant  Secretaries  shall  be  chosen  and 
assigned  to  their  respective  duties  by  the 
Board  of  Managers. 

Such  Assistant  Secretaries  as  are  chosen 
for  field  work  shall  devote  their  time  ex¬ 
clusively  to  promoting  the  interests  of  for¬ 
eign  missions  among  the  churches  at  Annual 
Conferences,  and  at  conventions  under  the 
direction  of  the  Board  and  of  the  Corres¬ 
ponding  Secretaries,  to  whom  they  shall 
make  monthly  reports  of  the  service  ren¬ 
dered. 

4.  Treasurer 

The  Treasurer  shall  keep  proper  books  of 
accounts,  showing  the  receipts  and  disburse¬ 
ments  and  all  other  financial  transactions 
connected  with  the  treasury  of  the  Board, 
except  such  transactions  as  are  committed 
to  the  care  of  the  Corresponding  Secretaries. 
He  shall,  under  advice  of  the  Finance  Com¬ 
mittee,  keep  all  uninvested  moneys  of  the 
Board  on  deposit  in  some  safe  bank  or  banks 


15 


in  the  name  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions,  subject  to  the  order  of  its  Treasurer. 
He  shall  honor  all  orders  of  the  Board  upon 
the  treasury  and  within  the  several  appro¬ 
priations  made  by  the  General  Committee 
and  the  Board,  shall  pay  all  drafts  and  fur¬ 
nish  the  Corresponding  Secretaries  with  bills 
of  exchange  or  drafts  for  the  support  of 
foreign  missions;  and  he  shall,  on  warrant 
of  a  Corresponding  Secretary,  pay  the  out¬ 
going  and  return  expenses  of  missionaries; 
and  shall  pay  all  bills  for  office  and  inci¬ 
dental  expenses  when  properly  audited.  He 
shall  be  subject  to  the  direction  of  the  Fi¬ 
nance  Committee  and  of  the  Board  in  respect 
to  all  investments,  loans  and  other  financial 
transactions  of  the  Board.  He  shall  report 
the  state  of  the  funds  and  whenever  required 
shall  exhibit  his  books,  vouchers,  and  se¬ 
curities  at  meetings  of  the  Finance  Commit¬ 
tee  and  of  the  Auditing  Committee;  and 
shall  report  monthly  to  the  Board  the  state 
of  the  treasury.  He  shall  keep  an  account 
of  all  receipts  by  Conferences  and  all  ex¬ 
penditures  by  missions  and  particular 
appropriations. 

The  Treasurer  is  authorized  to  receive  and 
give  receipts  for  all  moneys  due  and  pay¬ 
able  to  the  Board  from  any  source  whatever 
and  to  indorse  checks  and  warrants  in  its 
name  and  on  its  behalf  to  give  full  discharge 
for  the  same. 

He  shall  keep  the  seal  of  the  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions  and  affix  the  same  to  such 
documents,  contracts  and  conveyances  of 
real  estate  as  may  be  ordered  by  the  Board 
and  shall  execute  conveyances  of  real  estate 
whenever  ordered  by  the  Board. 

5.  Assistant  Treasurer 

The  Assistant  Treasurer  shall  reside  at 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  shall  be  subject  to  the 
direction  of  the  Board  of  Managers  and  of 


16 


the  Treasurer.  He  shall  forward  to  the 
Treasurer  a  monthly  statement  of  his  ac¬ 
counts  to  the  first  of  each  month  in  order 
that  the  same  may  he  presented  to  the  Board 
at  its  regular  meetings.  He  shall  exhibit 
his  books  and  accounts,  vouchers  and  securi¬ 
ties  to  such  auditors  as  may  be  appointed 
by  the  Board. 

6.  Recording  Secretary 

The  Recording  Secretary  shall  hold  his 
office  during  the  year  for  which  he  may  have 
been  elected,  unless  the  Board  shall  other¬ 
wise  determine. 

It  shall  be  his  duty  to  give  notice  of  all 
meetings  of  the  Board  and  to  record  the 
minutes  of  their  proceedings;  also  to  give 
notice  of  all  meetings  of  committees  as 
ordered  and  to  record  the  proceedings  of 
the  Executive  Committee  and  the  several 
standing  Committees  in  separate  books.  He 
shall  notify  the  Treasurer  or  the  Auditing 
Committee,  as  the  case  may  require,  of  all 
grants  or  expenditures,  authorized  by  action 
of  the  Board  of  Managers. 

He  shall  forward  to  all  the  members  of 
the  Board,  as  soon  as  practicable  after  each 
regular  meeting,  a  copy  of  the  Minutes  of  the 
same.  These  copies,  however,  shall  not  in¬ 
clude  the  text  of  reports  or  other  documents. 

He  shall,  under  the  direction  of  the  Cor¬ 
responding  Secretaries,  make  appropriate 
record  of  all  wills  under  which  the  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions  may  be  interested  and  of 
all  actions  of  the  Board  and  any  other  in¬ 
formation  relating  thereto. 

He  shall,  under  like  direction,  record  a 
statement  of  all  the  property  of  the  Society 
and  of  any  conveyances  thereof,  or  other 
proceedings  touching  the  same. 

He  shall  supervise  the  preparation  of  the 
Annual  Report  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions;  and  shall  keep  the  roll  of  the  officers 


17 


and  managers  and  of  the  members  of  the 
several  standing  committees  in  the  proper 
order  according  to  seniority  of  their  consecu¬ 
tive  service,  respectively,  except  that  the 
chairman  of  each  committee  shall  be  first 
named,  and  shall  see  that  such  lists  are 
printed  in  such  order  in  the  Annual  Reports. 

He  shall  facilitate  the  outgoing  and  home¬ 
coming  of  missionaries  and  their  families, 
by  securing  transportation  and  by  supervis¬ 
ing  the  shipment  of  their  effects,  and  such 
supplies  as  may  be  purchased  in  America 
for  personal  or  family  use. 


II 

FINANCIAL  REGULATIONS 

Appropriations  made  by  the  General  Com¬ 
mittee  of  Foreign  Missions  for  the  payment 
of  salaries  of  missionaries,  where  a  schedule 
of  salaries  has  been  fixed  by  the  Board  of 
Managers  for  any  foreign  mission  or  by  the 
Board  for  the  expenses  of  outgoing  and  re¬ 
turning  missionaries,  and  all  special  appro¬ 
priations  of  the  Board  or  of  the  General 
Committee,  except  for  the  purchase  or  im¬ 
provement  of  property,  shall  be  paid  by  the 
Treasurer  upon  the  requisition  of  the  Cor¬ 
responding  Secretaries,  without  further  ac¬ 
tion  of  the  Board.  Except  when  otherwise 
ordered  by  the  Board,  payments  made  in 
foreign  countries  are  to  be  by  drafts  on  the 
Treasurer  to  the  order  of  the  Superintendent 
or  Treasurer  of  the  mission;  and  payments 
made  in  this  country  on  account  of  foreign 
missions  may  be  made  by  draft  of  a  Cor¬ 
responding  Secretary  upon  the  Treasurer, 
payable  to  the  order  of  the  person  entitled 
to  receive  the  same,  and  the  Treasurer  shall 
not  he  authorized  to  pay  any  other. 

But  where  the  appropriation  is  general 
and  for  a  mission  not  yet  occupied,  and 
where  the  Bishop  in  charge  shall  have  ap- 


18 


pointed  a  missionary,  the  Board  has  power  to 
determine  what  portion  of  such  appropria¬ 
tion  shall  be  applied  to  particular  objects 
and  what  amount  may  be  placed  at  the  dis¬ 
cretion  of  the  Superintendent  or  the  Finance 
Committee  (where  such  committee  exists) 
for  general  purposes;  and  when  the  Board 
has  so  determined  the  Corresponding  Secre¬ 
taries  may  make  requisition  for  payment  of 
such  sums  in  manner  and  form  as  above 
stated. 

Office  and  incidental  expenses  shall  be 
audited  by  a  Corresponding  Secretary  and 
paid  on  his  order  on  the  face  of  the  original 
bills.  No  missionary  or  person  other  than 
a  Corresponding  Secretary  shall  be  allowed 
to  make  drafts  on  the  Treasurer  for  foreign 
missions,  except  on  letters  of  credit  duly 
issued. 

Real  estate  may  be  purchased  for  the 
Board  and  improvements  made  on  real 
estate  by  the  erection  of  buildings  or  other¬ 
wise,  only  by  direction  of  the  Board  of 
Managers  and  by  persons  specifically  au¬ 
thorized  and  appointed  to  make  such  pur¬ 
chases  or  improvements. 

Where  the  General  Committee  makes  a 
special  appropriation  for  the  purchase  or 
improvement  of  real  estate  in  any  foreign 
mission,  as  the  administration  of  the  appro¬ 
priation  and  the  management  of  the  property 
of  the  Board  rest  with  the  Board  of  Man¬ 
agers,  the  Board  shall  determine  the  time 
and  manner  of  payment  and  designate  the 
person  by  whom  such  appropriation  shall 
be  expended,  before  the  Corresponding  Secre¬ 
taries  are  authorized  to  make  requisition 
therefor. 

Appropriations  and  balances  of  appropria¬ 
tions  of  any  mission,  unexpended  at  the 
close  of  the  calendar  year,  whether  in  the 
hands  of  the  Treasurer  of  the  Board  or  any 
of  its  agents,  shall  lapse  into  the  treasury 
and  may  not  be  thereafter  used  for  the  pur- 


19 


pose  for  which  they  were  appropriated,  ex¬ 
cept  to  discharge  preexisting  obligations. 


Ill 

THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 

There  shall  be  an  Executive  Committee, 
consisting  of  not  less  than  twenty-one  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  Board.  The  President  of  the 
Board  shall  be  ex  officio  a  member  of  the 
Executive  Committee.  The  Corresponding 
Secretaries,  the  Recording  Secretary  and  the 
Treasurer  shall  be  advisory  members  of  the 
same. 

The  Executive  Committee  shall  meet  at 
such  stated  time  as  it  may  determine  or  at 
the  call  of  the  Corresponding  Secretaries, 
and  a  statement  of  all  actions  of  the  Execu¬ 
tive  Committee  shall  be  sent  to  each  member 
of  the  Board  at  least  two  days  in  advance 
of  the  ensuing  regular  meeting  of  the  Board. 

Nine  members  of  the  Executive  Committee 
shall  constitute  a  quorum  for  the  transac¬ 
tion  of  business. 

The  President  of  the  Board  shall  (be  ex- 
officio  chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee 
and  the  Recording  Secretary  shall  be  its 
secretary. 

The  Executive  Committee  shall  have  au¬ 
thority  to  pass  upon  the  following  classes 
of  items,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Board 
at  its  next  meeting;  nevertheless,  whenever 
the  Corresponding  Secretaries  deem  it  pref¬ 
erable  to  do  so,  they  may  refer  items  in¬ 
cluded  in  any  of  these  classes  to  a  standing 
committee  or  bring  them  directly  to  the 
Board: 

1.  Matters  specifically  *  referred  by  the 
Board  to  the  Executive  Committee. 

2.  The  appointment  of  treasurers  and 
finance  committees  in  the  missions. 


20 


3.  Redistributions  by  the  Finance  Com¬ 
mittees  of  the  Missions. 

4.  Allowances  for  retired  missionaries  and 
for  the  widows  and  orphans  of  missionaries. 

5.  School  allowances  for  children  of  mis¬ 
sionaries. 

6.  The  assignment  of  missionaries  under 
the  “Parish  Abroad  Plan.” 

7.  Provision  for  transit  expenses. 

8.  The  granting  of  furloughs  when  recom¬ 
mended  by  Finance  Committees  on  the  field 
and  in  emergent  conditions  upon  medical 
certificate;  also  the  extension  of  furloughs. 

9.  Grants  from  the  Emergency  and  Inci¬ 
dental  Funds  of  amounts  not  exceeding  $250. 

10.  Matters  4o  be  referred  or  calling  for 
further  correspondence  before  specific  action. 

11.  Any  other  matters  of  a  formal  or 
routine  character. 

12.  With  the  approval  of  the  Correspond¬ 
ing  Secretaries,  the  Executive  Committee 
shall  be  authorized  also  to  consider  and  act 
upon  any  matters  of  an  emergent  character 
which  may  arise  in  the  interim  between  the 
regular  meetings  of  the  Board;  provided, 
however,  that  no  financial  obligation  shall 
be  incurred  beyond  that  which  is  indicated 
in  Item  9. 

IV 

STANDING  COMMITTEES  AND  THEIR 

DUTIES 

At  the  regular  meeting  of  the  Board,  in 
June  of  each  year,  the  following  standing 
committees  shall  be  appointed: 

1.  Foreign  Administration:  It  shall  be  the 
duty  of  the  Committee  on  Foreign  Adminis¬ 
tration  to  consider  and  report  upon  all  mat¬ 
ters  relating  to  the  Missions  which  may  be 
referred  to  it  by  the  Board  or  by  the  Cor¬ 
responding  Secretaries. 

2.  Home  Base:  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
Committee  oh  Home  Base  to  consider  and 


21 


report  on  all  matters  relating  to  income,  ap¬ 
portionments,  education,  field  work,  records, 
office  supervision,  investigation  of  methods 
and  details  of  administration  and  Christian 
stewardship,  as  shall  be  referred  to  it  by 
the  Board  or  by  the  Corresponding  Secre¬ 
taries. 

It  shall  also  make  and  recommend  to  the 
Board  estimates  for  the  salaries  to  be  paid 
to  any  persons  employed  in  the  service  of 
the  Board,  except  missionaries  on  the  for¬ 
eign  field  and  the  Corresponding  and  Record¬ 
ing  Secretaries;  also  estimates  for  other 
office  and  administrative  expenses. 

3.  Finance:  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  this 
Committee  to  aid  the  Treasurer  to  provide 
ways  and  means.  It  shall  have  authority  to 
advise  the  Treasurer  as  to  the  deposit  of 
all  uninvested  moneys  of  the  Board,  and  in 
the  intervals  between  the  sessions  of  the 
Board  to  direct  him  in  respect  to  all  in¬ 
vestments,  loans  and  other  financial  trans¬ 
actions  of  the  Board.  It  shall  have  the  man¬ 
agement,  care,  and  supervision  of  the  inter¬ 
ests  of  the  Board  in  the  building  known  as 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Publishing  and  Mis¬ 
sion  Building,  150  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 
City,  subject  to  the  orders  of  the  Board. 

This  Committee  shall  consider  and  re¬ 
port  on  all  applications  for  loans  to  the  Mis¬ 
sions  or  to  institutions  connected  with  the 
Missions  and  on  all  questions  arising  under 
wills  or  concerning  lands  temporarily  held 
by  the  Board,  which  may  be  referred  to  it 
by  the  Board  or  by  the  Corresponding  Sec¬ 
retaries. 

It  shall  be  its  duty  also  to  make  estimates 
for  the  salaries  to  be  paid  to  the  Correspond¬ 
ing  Secretaries  and  the  Recording  Secre¬ 
tary  and  to  report  the  same  for  the  action 
of  the  Board. 

4.  Candidates:  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  this 
committee  to  consider  and  report  upon  all 


22 


matters  pertaining  to  the  selection,  cultiva¬ 
tion,  and  training  of  candidates  which  may 
be  referred  to  it  by  the  Board  or  by  the 
Corresponding  Secretaries.  It  shall  also  ex¬ 
amine  candidates  for  appointment  as  mis¬ 
sionaries  under  this  Board  and  the  creden¬ 
tials  of  candidates  for  appointment  under 
the  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
and  shall  report  to  the  Board  its  recommen¬ 
dations. 

5.  Nominations:  This  committee  shall  con¬ 
sist  of  the  chairmen  of  the  several  stand¬ 
ing  committees  and  six  other  members  to 
be  chosen  in  such  manner  as  the  Board  may 
determine.  Its  duty  shall  be  to  nominate 
the  officers  of  the  Board,  the  members  of 
the  Executive  Committee  and  of  the  stand¬ 
ing  committees  and  suitable  persons  to  fill 
any  vacancies  that  may  occur  in  the  list  of 
officers  or  in  the  membership  of  the  Board 
of  Managers.  The  vote  of  the  Board  on  all 
such  nominations  shall  be  by  ballot. 

6.  Comity  and  Cooperation:  It  shall  be  the 
duty  of  this  committee  to  consider  and  re¬ 
port  upon  all  matters  referred  to  it  by  the 
Corresponding  Secretaries  or  by  the  Board, 
pertaining  to  the  relations  of  this  Board  to 
other  benevolent  organizations  of  the  Meth¬ 
odist  Episcopal  Church,  to  Mission  Boards  of 
other  religious  denominations,  to  the  Federal 
Council  of  the  Churches  .of  Christ  in 
America  and  any  other  denominational  or 
interdenominational  movements  and  organi¬ 
zations. 

7.  Audits:  There  shall  be  two  committees 
on  Audits,  one  in  New  York  and  one  in  Cin¬ 
cinnati,  Ohio.  The  former  shall  audit  the 
accounts  of  the  Treasurer  and  the  latter 
the  accounts  of  the  Assistant  Treasurer, 
annually  or  oftener  if  deemed  necessary  and 
ordered  by  the  Board.  They  shall  also 
audit  such  other  accounts  as  may  be  referred 
to  them  by  the  Board. 

The  meetings  of  the  Committee  on  Foreign 


23 


Administration  shall  be  held  at  ten  o’clock 
a.  m.  of  the  day  upon  which  the  Board 
regularly  meets;  and  the  meetings  of  the 
Committee  on  Home  Base  shall  be  held  at 
1:30  p.  m.  of  the  same  day,  or  at  such  days 
and  hours  as  shall  be  designated  by  the 
Corresponding  Secretaries. 


V 

GENERAL  RULES 

1.  Each  standing  committee  shall,  at  its 
first  meeting  after  election,  select  its  own 
chairman,  who,  however,  shall  not  be  chair¬ 
man  of  any  other  standing  committee,  ex¬ 
cept  that  he  may  be  the  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Nominations;  and  if  he  be 
absent  at  any  meeting,  it  shall  choose  a 
chairman  pro  tern.  Each  committee  shall 
cause  to  be  recorded  a  correct  minute  of 
all  its  proceedings  in  regard  to  business 
brought  before  it  and  deposit  the  same  in 
a  book  for  that  purpose;  and  said  committee 
may  hold  a  regular  meeting  once  a  month 
or  meet  at  the  call  of  the  chairman,  the 
Corresponding  Secretaries,  or  the  Treasurer. 

2.  The  Corresponding  Secretaries,  the  Re¬ 
cording  Secretary,  and  the  Treasurer  shall 
constitute  a  committee  to  consider  carefully 
the  estimates  prepared  by  the  Finance  Com¬ 
mittees  of  the  missions  and  report  recom¬ 
mendations  on  the  same  to  the  General  Com¬ 
mittee  at  its  annual  meeting,  for  its  guidance 
in  making  its  appropriations  for  the  ensuing 
year. 

3.  The  President  of  the  Board  shall  be,  ex- 
officio,  a  member  of  all  the  standing  com¬ 
mittees. 

The  Treasurer  shall  be,  ex-officio,  a  mem¬ 
ber  and  the  Corresponding  Secretaries 
advisory  members,  without  a  vote,  of  each 
of  the  standing  committees,  except  the  Com¬ 
mittee  on  Audits;  and  the  Bishop  having 


24 


charge  of  a  foreign  mission  shall  be  ex- 
officio  a  member  of  the  respective  committees 
having  charge  of  the  same. 

4.  When  any  matter  is  referred  to  a  com¬ 
mittee  with  power,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of 
that  committee  to  report  to  the  Board  its 
final  action  in  the  case  for  record  in  the 
Minutes  of  its  proceedings. 


VI 

MEETINGS  OF  THE  BOARD,  ORDER  OF 

BUSINESS  AND  RULES  OF  DEBATE 

1.  Meetings  of  the  Board 

1.  The  Board  shall  hold  its  regular  meet¬ 
ings  on  the  third  Tuesday  of  each  month, 
at  2:30  o’clock  p.  m.,  at  the  Mission  Rooms 
of  the  Board,  but  the  meeting  for  August 
may  be  omitted  at  the  discretion  of  the 
Corresponding  Secretaries. 

2.  The  presiding  officer  shall  preserve 
order,  keep  the  speaker  to  the  point  under 
consideration,  and  appoint  committees  not 
otherwise  provided  for.  He  shall  not  take 
part  in  debate,  nor  propose  any  new  meas¬ 
ure,  unless  he  first  leave  the  chair,  but  he 
may  vote  as  any  other  member. 

3.  All  meetings  of  the  Board  shall  open 
with  reading  the  Scriptures  and  prayer  and 
close  with  prayer  or  the  benediction  under 
the  direction  of  the  chairman. 

4.  The  Corresponding  Secretaries,  the 
Treasurer,  or  any  five  managers  may  call  a 
special  meeting  of  the  Board. 

2.  Order  of  Business 

1.  Reading  of  Scriptures  and  Prayer. 

2.  Approval  of  the  Minutes  of  the  previous 
meeting. 

At  each  regular  meeting  the  Chairman 

25 


shall  inquire  if  there  are  any  corrections  to 
the  Minutes  as  printed,  and,  if  not,  the 
Minutes  shall  stand  approved. 

3.  Communications  from  the  Correspond¬ 
ing  Secretaries. 

4.  Reports  of  Committees  in  the  following 
order:  Executive  Committee,  Foreign  Ad¬ 
ministration,  Home  Base,  Candidates,  Fi¬ 
nance,  Nominations,  Comity  and  Coopera¬ 
tion,  Audits  and  special  committees. 

The  report  of  each  committee  shall  be 
made  by  simply  reading  the  Minutes  of  its 
proceedings  upon  which  the  Board  shall  take 
such  action  as  the  case  may  require.  When 
any  one  of  the  standing  committees  may  be 
called  in  the  regular  proceedings  of  the 
Board,  it  shall  be  in  order  to  present  any 
miscellaneous  business  pertaining  to  the 
particular  matters  of  which  that  committee 
has  charge  as  well  as  to  receive  and  consider 
any  report  from  that  committee. 

5.  Treasurer’s  Monthly  Statement. 

6.  Unfinished  business. 

7.  Miscellaneous  business. 

8.  Adjournment  and  benediction. 

The  Board  shall  elect,  in  the  month  of 
October  of  each  year,  the  members  of  the 
General  Committee  of  Foreign  Missions  to 
which  it  is  entitled,  according  to  the  pro¬ 
visions  of  Article  III  of  the  Constitution  of 
the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 

3.  Rules  for  the  Transaction  of  Business 

1.  A  motion  having  been  made,  seconded 
and  stated  from  the  Chair,  shall  be  con¬ 
sidered  in  possession  of  the  Board,  but  may 
be  withdrawn  by  the  mover  before  any  ac¬ 
tion  is  taken  on  it.  Every  motion  shall  be 
reduced  to  writing,  if  the  presiding  officer 
or  any  other  member  require  it;  and,  when 
the  question  contains  several  distinct  propo¬ 
sitions,  any  member  may  have  the  same 
divided. 


26 


2.  A  motion  to  amend  shall  be  considered 
first  in  order,  and  shall  be  decided  before  the 
original  motion;  and  a  substitute  for  any 
pending  motion  or  amendment  may  be 
offered,  and  shall,  if  it  prevail,  supersede 
the  original  motion  or  proposed  amendment, 
and  may  itself  be  amended. 

3.  Every  member  wishing  to  speak  shall 
arise  and  address  the  Chair,  and  no  one  shall 
speak  more  than  once  on  one  question,  until 
every  member  desiring  to  speak  shall  have 
spoken;  and  no  member  shall  speak  over 
ten  minutes  without  the  permission  of  the 
Board. 

4.  Motions  to  lay  on  the  table  and  motions 
that  the  previous  question  be  put  shall  be 
taken  without  debate. 

5.  When  a  report  is  presented  by  a  com¬ 
mittee,  it  shall  be  considered  in  possession 
of  the  Board,  and  may  be  adopted,  amended, 
recommitted,  laid  on  the  table,  or  otherwise 
disposed  of,  as  the  Board  may  judge  proper. 

6.  It  shall  be  deemed  out  of  order  to  use 
personal  reflections  in  debate,  or  to  inter¬ 
rupt  a  speaker,  except  to  explain  or  call 
him  to  order. 

7.  It  shall  be  deemed  out  of  order  for  any 
member  to  leave  the  meeting  without  per¬ 
mission  of  the  Chair  or  the  Board. 

8.  A  motion  to  adjourn  shall  always  be 
considered  in  order,  and  shall  be  taken  with¬ 
out  debate. 

9.  A  call  for  ayes  and  noes  shall  be  or¬ 
dered  on  the  demand  of  any  five  members 
present. 

10.  Any  decision  of  the  presiding  officer 
shall  be  subject  to  an  appeal  to  the  Board, 
and  such  appeal  shall  be  decided  without 
debate,  but  the  presiding  officer  may  assign 
his  reasons  for  his  decision. 

11.  When  a  question  has  been  once  put 
and  decided,  it  shall  be  in  order  for  any 
member  who  voted  in  the  majority  to  move 


27 


for  the  reconsideration  thereof,  hut  no  mo¬ 
tion  for  reconsideration  shall  be  taken  more 
than  once. 


VII 

PUBLICATION  AND  AMENDMENT  OF 

BY-LAWS 

1.  The  Charter,  the  Constitution  of  the 
Board,  and  the  By-Laws  shall  be  published 
with  each  Annual  Report. 

2.  The  Board  of  Managers  shall  not  make, 
alter,  or  amend  any  By-Law  except  at  the 
regular  monthly  meeting  thereof,  nor  at 
the  same  meeting  at  which  such  By-Law, 
alteration,  or  amendment  may  be  proposed. 


